Broncos tackle a new role...in the tuckshop

Geoff Egan
Journalist
Geoff has been working for the QT since August 2011 covering Ipswich’s rural areas. He started working for APN in January 2010 with the Chinchilla News in western Queensland after growing up on a grain farm. Geoff spends his time out of work watching far too much sport following the Reds, the Broncos and various American teams.

Churchill State School students Kale Harris and Josh Etherden having her lunch served up by Broncos players, Scott Anderson, Nick Slyney and Josh McGuire, after the school tuckshop won a competition run by Hans. Sarah Harvey

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THE man expected to fill Petero Civoniceva's shoes has praised the quality of rugby league players coming out of Ipswich.

Visiting Churchill State School, Broncos front rower Josh McGuire said Ipswich was an important fan base for the Broncos.

"Visiting schools and seeing kids in places like Ipswich is a pretty big deal for the Broncos," he said.

McGuire and three of the Broncos other props switched weights for hotdogs yesterday, dropping in to the school to serve the students lunch.

McGuire said Ipswich was part of the Broncos' heartland of supporters. "This is such a good area for sport but especially for football," he said. "There have been some great players out of Ipswich. Coming out to schools like Churchill and seeing the kids and the smiles on their faces is great.

"It's good to get out here, it's really important to the Broncos to be in the community."

Four of the team's top front rowers - Josh McGuire, Scott Anderson, David Hala and Nick Slyney - served up sausages and sauce to the school as part of a promotion with deli goods company Hans.

The Broncos mascot Buck the Bronco was especially popular with the Churchill students who swamped him when they'd had their fill of Broncos served hot dogs. The four players came straight from pre-season training at the Broncos Red Hill base.

McGuire is expected to be first in line to replace now retired Civoniceva in the front row and push for a State of Origin spot in 2013. Ipswich's current NRL players include one of McGuire's competitors for representative honours in Sydney Rooster Marty Kennedy as well as Gold Coast Titan hooker Matt Srama.

Churchill was one of 38 schools across Queensland to enter a competition, by Broncos sponsor Hans, to collect the most barcodes from their products.

Despite being one of the smallest schools to take part, Churchill students collected 992 barcodes; the most per student in the state, winning the competition to have the group of Broncos visit their school and serve them lunch.